Page 68 of Royal Beast
Rory exhales sharply, his shoulders tense. “I’m with Kellan,” he says, looking at Liam like he’s not sure what to make of his hesitation. “But we need to control the terms. Neutral ground. Full security. No surprises. We set the rules. Not him.”
“But neutral doesn’t mean safe,” Liam points out. “And getting there could still be a risk.”
There’s a long silence, each of us locked in our thoughts.
“I say we do it,” I add, a finality in my voice. “Get in there. Get this done. Not on their terms, but ours.”
The room falls into silence again, each of us turning the risks over in our minds. My brothers exchange glances, their faces unreadable, but the tension between us is thick enough to cut.
“We meet,” Rory says finally. His voice is heavy, like he’s carrying the weight of all our lives on his shoulders. “But we do it smart. The second anything feels wrong, we pull out.”
I nod, but the anger and frustration haven’t fully left me. There’s still so much uncertainty, and I can feel the cold undercurrent of it running through us all.
“Then we get ready for whatever’s coming,” I mutter, more to myself than anyone else.
One by one, we nod.
I lean back in my chair, the tension in my chest easing just a little. The decision is made, but the unease lingers. Whatever is going to happen, it will take all our strength and courage to keep the situation contained. It won’t be easy.
Rory sends off a text to his contact in the Russians and we wait with bated breath, wondering what’s going to happen next. After a few tense moments of silence, the phone buzzes and he picks it up, the expression on his face hardening.
“Anatoly is asking to meet us, tomorrow morning at the same place. The diner outside of town. He asks that we leave weapons at the door but agrees that all four of us can attend as long as he can bring his top lieutenants,” he reads out.
We exchange glances, a silent agreement among us. We’re going to make sure that we’re protected, but as long as this isn’t a set-up, we’re going.
“Tell him we agree,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “Tomorrow morning. Eight o’clock. The diner. No weapons.”
And with that, we prepare to face off against an uncertain future, wondering if we’re doing the right thing.
33
DARCY
“What’s going on?” I ask, glancing back and forth between Guy and my dad. “Guy, how do you know my dad?”
The two of them share a look, one of those silent exchanges that immediately put me on edge. After a long pause, Guy nods slightly, and Max finally speaks up. “Darcy, Guy, and I are friends. We met through Gamblers Anonymous. I was trying to get help.”
I raise an eyebrow, feeling a bit taken aback. Guy smiles at me, the kind of smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Max is an incredible man,” he says, his tone honeyed, dripping with sincerity. “He’s made so much progress, especially after everything that happened with the house. It’s honestly impressive.”
The way Guy is practically glowing as he speaks about my dad makes me uncomfortable. Something feels off, but I can’t put my finger on it yet.
Max gives Guy a grateful nod, clearly warming to his praise, but I can’t shake the feeling that there's somethingtooconvenient about the whole situation. And then Guy looks atme again, his smile turning a little more knowing, a little too smooth.
“If you ever need anything, Max,” he says, his tone dropping a little too much into that flirtatious zone for my liking, “Please just let me know. I’m always here to help. You’re like a father to me. You’ve been looking after me while I struggled with my addiction. Darcy, I can’t even tell you how wonderful of a man your father is. He’s been there for me when no one else was.”
I feel a shiver of unease run through me, and my instincts tell me I need to get out of here. I force a smile, but it doesn’t feel genuine, and Guy seems to take that as an invitation to lean in just a little too much.
“Thanks, Guy,” I reply, my eyes narrowing slightly as I glance at my dad. He’s so caught up in his own conversation with Guy, he doesn’t seem to notice.
“You should let me take you to dinner as a thank you,” he adds, giving me a too-bright smile. “Then we can discuss ways to look after your father in his last days together. You should have someone to lean on in times like this, you poor girl.”
I almost shudder, skin prickling as he sizes me up. “I have someone who’s been there for me,” I tell him, trying to brush him off. But I’m not sure if he’s not picking up on the vibes or if he’s just not worried about it because he brushes right past it.
“Your poor, sweet daughter,” Guy says with a hint of mock sympathy, his eyes narrowing as he looks from me to Max. “She deserves a father figure in her life. Don’t you agree, Max?”
Max gives a small, absent nod, and I can feel my stomach tighten. I’m not sure exactly what Guy’s getting at, but I don’t like it. I sigh, trying to stay patient.
“She does,” I say, deciding to be blunt and skip the niceties. “My husband has been taking care of her while I’ve been here.”
